Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Prospective students wanting to begin the professional phase of their education and who are seeking admission to the School of Occupational Therapy for the OTD degree can follow one of four options:

1. Completed Bachelor's Degree
2. 3+ Entry
3. Early Assurance
4. Priority Admit

Completed Bachelor's Degree

• Have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a discipline other than occupational therapy, or receive a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a discipline other than occupational therapy by time of enrollment.
• Complete all prerequisite coursework by enrollment.
• Submit a completed application by October 2 for the following fall.
• Participate in an interview, if invited.

3+ Entry

This option allows you to be granted permission to start some occupational therapy coursework in your 4th year after the completion of: three full-time undergraduate years of study; all undergraduate major requirements, excluding those that overlap with the OT curriculum; and all undergraduate core requirements. Students are not officially accepted to the OTD program until they have received their bachelor's degree. To qualify for this option, you must:

• Be enrolled in the University of Indianapolis undergraduate programs.
• Declare a major. A concentration in Pre-OT is strongly recommended. Explore majors 
• Submit a letter from your undergraduate advisor approving that all designated university core, major, and occupational therapy prerequisite courses will be completed prior to your 4th year of college.
• Submit a deposit your 3rd year of college with notice of your intent to start the program in your 4th year
• Apply during your 3rd year via OTCAS, requesting permission to take courses in the occupational therapy department. Visit the OTCAS site

Upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree and occupational therapy coursework-under-permission status, students following this track will be granted official acceptance into the OTD program.

Early Assurance

• Meet the Early Assurance admission criteria
• Submit an undergraduate application to the University of Indianapolis, indicating your intended undergraduate major (any). A Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration is strongly encouraged. Apply for the Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration
• The occupational therapy admissions committee will review the application and inform the student of their eligibility status by letter. If eligible, the student signs and returns the enclosed letter of intent to UIndy Undergraduate Admissions.
• Students that are identified as Early Assurance can take advantage of the Priority Admit option to avoid OTCAS fees and have an admission decision prior to the start of their senior year.

Priority Admit

• Meet the Priority Admit admissions criteria
• Submit an application for the Occupational Therapy Priority Admit option between January 15 and April 15 via the University of Indianapolis application system
• The occupational therapy admissions committee will review the application and if accepted, student will be invited to interview for the program

Admission to the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is competitive. In order to be considered an eligible applicant, you must meet the following requirements:

Provide evidence that you will complete a bachelor's degree in any field at any regionally accredited college or university by the time you enter the program, or evidence that you are a University of Indianapolis undergraduate eligible to apply for admission through our Early Entry program.

• Provide evidence of a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Provide evidence that you will have completed prerequisite courses by the time you enter the program with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 and no grade lower than a C. See prerequisite courses
• Submit a completed application via OTCAS by October 1 for the following fall
• Or submit a completed application via an internal application system by April 15 for August 2026 

See OT application instructions

Application Deadline: Still accepting applications until cohort is filled for August 2026 start date. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note: GRE is not required for this program

The following admission materials are considered when offering interviews and positions in the program.

• A minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is required, confirmed by official transcripts
• A minimum prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is required, confirmed by official transcripts
• Professional recommendations
• Communication skills, professional goals, related experiences, knowledge of occupational therapy, and professionalism

Admission is competitive. The top applicants are invited to an admission interview. After the admission interview, applicants are ranked based on GPA, recommendations, and interview score. Then, the top applicants are offered admission. Some applicants may be placed on a wait list pending available spots in the class. After completing the application and interview process, some applicants may be denied. Our most recent entering class had an average prerequisite GPA of 3.66.

Performance Essentials

Becoming an occupational therapist requires the completion of a professional education program that is both intellectually and physically challenging. The purpose of the UIndy School of Occupational Therapy Performance Essentials document is to articulate the demands of this program in a way that will allow current students to compare their own capabilities against these demands.

Read the OT Performance Essentials document

Criminal Background Check

In order to meet professional licensure requirements as well as protect future patients/clients and clinical sites, admitted students are required to have criminal background checks prior to matriculation into the program. A criminal history may affect fieldwork placement and/or licensure, and in some cases, disqualify a student from admission.

Required Health Documentation

Students in the UIndy School of Occupational Therapy programs must comply with all health requirements. Health requirements are tracked throughout the program in order to ensure students remain in compliance with Program and Clinical requirements.  Proof of immunity and/or vaccinations are required. Additionally, students are required to have a physical exam completed by a primary health provider, as well as proof of health insurance prior to matriculation.

Transfer Students

Course credit from other occupational therapy programs is not transferable to the UIndy OTD program. This is due to the unique nature in which individual occupational therapy programs design their curriculum. It is the UIndy OT curricula as a whole that we believe adequately prepares our students for the NBCOT examination and clinical practice; therefore, outside credits will not transfer into the programs. The graduate program does not accept transfers from other OT programs, but undergrads are welcome to transfer to the university with the intent to apply to OT.

More Information

For more information, contact ot@uindy.edu.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

See notice of non-discrimination

• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Program Results

**Includes 1st-time test takers and those who required repeat

*NBCOT Data. Program performance on the NBCOT Examination is also located on the NBCOT website.

The total number of graduates from the University of Indianapolis Occupational Therapy Doctorate program during the 3-year period of 2023-2025 was 125 with an overall graduation rate of 93.98%

SOT Program Outcomes